Plant guard for cultivators



April 20, 1926,

W. B. PRATT ET AL PLANT GUARD FOR CULTIVATORS Fild Sept. 25. 1924 2 Sheets-8heet 1 I flnomwa April 20 1926.

W. B. PRATT ET AL.

PLANT GUARD FOR CULfI'IVATORS Filed Sept. 25. 1924 2 Sheets- 5h; z

Jilliai.

' 6112922 Bali 7 Yea Patented Apr. 20, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,531,227 PATENT OFFICE.

WARREN B. PRATT AND CHARLES HOWARD LAMB; PBOCTOR, COLORADO.

PLANT GUARD FOR GULTIVATORS.

- Application filed September 25, 1924. Serial No. 739,895.

it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved plant guard for use in connection with a straddle row cultivator so that whensmall plants such as beets or the like are being cultivated, the throwing of dirt upon the small plants will be prevented. hen a cultivator of thistype is in use and no protector provided for the young plants the earth dug up between the rows of plants will often be, thrown upon the plants so that they are smothered and caused to die.

One object of the invention is therefore to provide a guard or shield which can be used in connection with aconventional construction of cultivator and to further so construct the guards that they may be easily and quickly applied.

Another object is to so construct the guards that when in place, they may be vertically adjusted So that'theyare properly positioned with respect to the ground and to further so mount them that they may be angularly adjusted to properly position them and compensate for wear caused by their rear end portions engaging the ground.

Another object of the invention is to provide guards which may be formed from strips of heavy sheet metal and therefore produced at a small cost.

This invention is illustrated in the"accompanying drawings, wherein: c

Figure 1 is a 'top'plan View of a "conventional type 'of cultivator with the improved guard applied to it.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 3-3Iof Fig. '1.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view through the cultivator taken along 't he'line 4E4 of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view in side elevation showing themanner of connecting a guard with the cultivator.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional View taken along the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of one of the guard strips together with its attaching bar.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing the attaching bar separate from the guard strip.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary view similar to aportion of Figjtand showing a modified form. of guard strip.

The cultivator shown in the accompany: ing drawings is of a conventional construet-ion and will be provided with a frame indicated in general by the letter A and including cross bars B and C. Each of the cross bars is provided with upper and lower strips 1 and 2, the upper strip being a fiat strip and the lower strip being formed of angle iron to provide a depending front flange These strips 2 and 3 are provided with slots 4 to receive the standards 5 and 6, the standard carried by the forward bar B serving to carry the disks 7 and the standard 6 carried by the rear bar serving to carry the cultivator blades 8. These standards and 6 are provided withthe usual notches for receiving the upper strips 1 and will be held in a desiredvertically adjusted position 'bythe usual fastener plates 9. The cultivator blades or shovels 8 will also be connected with the rear standardin a con .ve-ntional manner and the forward disks 7 rotatably connected with the forward standard in the usual manner by having shafts forming bolts 10 extended through openings formed in the lower ends of the standards.

The construction so far described is common to :cultivators already in use and it will be readily seen that the guards forming the subject matter of this invention can be sold in connection with a cultivator or can be sold separately as an accessory or attachment to be applied to a Cultivator already in use. It will be further understood "that the protector. strips or shields may be used connection with cultivators modified in their specific construction, one example of 'whichihas "beenshown in 9, where "the disks 7 have 'thei'r pivot bolts extending from their convexedlfaees instead of their concaved faces. The improved plant protecting strips could in fact be used in connection with any type of cultivator having forward and "rear earth-workin g implements including vertical standards connected with the frame portion of the machine in any desired manner.

.Vlien used in connection with a cultivator ot the type shown in Figs. 1 ant l with the shaft forming holts 10 extending from the concave sides of the disks 7, the plant protecting strips will he termed shown in Fl. s. 7 and 8. These strips which are in (llC ted by the numerals 11 and 12 stend upon opposite sides of a row of plants as shown in. Fig. 1 and will he of su'liicient len 'th to extend rearwardly from the disks 7 td a point rearwardly heyond the cultivi tor blades or shovels 8. Each of the strips has heen hent adjacent its tor-ward end to provide an oii'set portion 13 to receive the rear portion of the disks 7 from. which it e5;- tends, and thereby prevents the plant protecting: strips from interfering with proper rotation 01. the dis t. The forward end portion of each str'p is provided with a lover iastener-receiving opening; 1% and above this opening there as been provided arcuate slots 15. The opening 1% rec} isters vith an opening; 16 formed in the lower end of a mounting bar 1'? so that a fastener rivet 18 may he passed through these openings as shown in Fi 6 and pivotally chunect the plantprotecting strips with the mountii'ig har. Theretore, when the plant protectors are in use, they may he tilted vertically to place them at the desired angle with respect to the ground and the rear end portions are worn oii" through eng ement with the ground, the strips may he ad ted so that they will he properly DOSlLlOI'lQd. Opem s 19 are formed in the mounting bar to register with the slots and the upper end portion of this bar 17 s provided with a pair of openings 20. The openings 19 and 20 and slots 15 have been formed in pairs so that when put in place the mounting har may he vertically adjusted and the shaittorming bolts 10 passed through a selected opening 19 and slot 15 and the bolt 21 which holds the scraper 22 and upper portion of the bar 1? in place :assed through a selected opening 20. By this arrangement, the bolts 10 and 21 ordinarily made use for mounting the disks and scrapers may he made use of to secure the attachment in place upon the lower end portions of the standards 5. The plant protccting attachment may therefore be easily put in place and so mounted that the lower ends of the mounting bars and forward ends of the strips 11 and 12 will he positioned the proper distance above the ground and after being put in place the strips may he angularly adjusted and the securing nuts 10' for the bolts 10 then tightened to retain the strips in the angularly adjuster position.

The protecting strips 28 provided at the sides of the cultivator are formed as straight strips which are shorter than the strips forming the plant protectors 11 and 12. These strips .43 have their rear ends in alinement with the rear ends of the strips 11 and 12- and have their forward ends termihating in alinement with the rear ends of the offset portions 18. Each of the strips 23 is provided with an attaching bar or standard to which it is pivotally connected by means of a rivet or other pivot fastener 25. A bolt 26 j asses through registering openings formed in the strips and standard 24, one of said openings being in the form of an arcuate slot so that the strip 23 the desired position. The standard 2 1- projects through openings in the upper and lower strips of the rear cross bar C and will be releasably held in a vertically adjusted position in the same manner that the stand ards 5 and 6 are held. It .vill therefore be seen that the protecting strips may also he vertically adjusted with respect to the ground as well as angularly adjuster.

Referring to the form shown in Fig. 9, it will be seen that these strips 27 are formed as straight strips. It is not necessary to provide these strips with the oilset portions 13 as the disks 7 have their convex sides toward the standards with which they are connected and therefore they extend rearwardly in diverging relation instead of in converging relation. The rear portions of these disks therefore extend away from the strips 27 and it is not necessary to provide ottset portions to permit the plant protecting strips to he'extended rearwardly without contacting; with the disks. The mounting arms for these strips 2? will be the same as used in connection with the strips 11 and 12 and therefore are indicated by the same numerals 17. The same method of attaching the strips 27 to the mounting bars will also he made use of, and therefore does not need to be specifically illustrated in connection with this form.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided plant protecting strips which can be readily connected with a cultivator to be sold or to one already in use. When in place, they extend rearwardly between the shovels 8 upon opposite sides of the rows of plants and as the machine moves across a field, the strips or protectors will prevent the earth thrown up by the shovels from be ing thrown upon the small plants.

I claim 1. The combination with a straddle row cultivator including a frame having forward and rear cross bars. and forward and rear ground-working elements having standards connected to the forward and rear bars of said frame. of plant shielding members con nected to the forward ground-working elements and extending rearwardly therefrom ma he ano'ularl ad usted and secured in I \J l upon opposite sides of the rear ground-working elements and rearwardly beyond the same and adaptedto be disposed between the rear ground-working elements and rows of plants as the cultivator is drawn across a field.

2. The combination with a straddle row cultivator including a frame having forward and rear cross bars, and forward and rear ground-working elements having standards connected to the forward and rear cross bars for vertical adjustment, of plant-protecting members connected to the standards of the forward ground-working elements and 6X5 tending rearwardly upon opposite sides of the rear ground-working elements, said plant protectors being adapted to be swung vertically for angular adjustment relative to the ground and means for releasably securing the plant protectors in an adjusted position.

3. The combination with a straddle row cultivator including a frame having forward and rear cross bars and forward and rear ground-working elements having standards connected to these forward and rear cross 4:. The combination with a straddle row cultivator including a frame and forward and rear ground-working elements carried thereby, the forward ground-working elements including standards and blades having fasteners passing through the standards, of plant protectors comprising mounting bars secured to the lower end portions of said standards and extending beneath the same, and plant shielding strips pivotally connected to the lower ends of said mounting bars and extending rearwardly upon opposite sides of the rear ground working elements, the forward end portions of said strips above their pivotal connections to the mounting bars being provided with arcuate slots and the fasteners for the blades of the forward ground-working elements projecting through the mounting bars and slots of said strips and serving as means for limiting vertical angular adjustment of the strips and as means for releasably securing the strips in a set position.

5. A plant protecting attachment for a straddle row cultivator comprising a mounting member adapted to be connected to a portion of a cultivator in depending relation thereto, a plant shielding strip pivotally connected to the lower end portion of said mounting member and ext-ending rearwardly therefrom and means for holding the strip in adjusted position with respect to the ground; said strip being provided with an offset portion adjacent its forward end to provide a disc receiving recess.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto afiixed our signatures.

CHARLES HOWARD LAMBP WARREN B. PRATT. 

